Automatic cap gun



A ril 30, 1957 Filed April 28. 1954 H. C. DOUGLAS AUTOMATIC CAP GUN 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

- d s tgs Patent fire 2,790,260 Patented Apr. 30,

AUTOMATIC CAP GUN Homer C. Douglas, Kansas City, Kaus., assignor to T.R. Chamberlain, Kansas City, Kans.

Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,265 7 Claims. (Cl. 42-57)This invention relates to an automatic cap gun and has for its principalobject the provision of relatively simple, inexpensive mechanism forcontrolling continual advancement of caps along an anvil and repeatedactuation of a swingable hammer for firing the caps against the anvil.

It is the most important object of the present invention to improve uponthe automatic toy machine gun forming the subject matter of myco-pending application, Serial No. 210,406, filed February 10, 1951, nowPatent No. 2,723,478, to the extent of utilizing the principles thereinset forth, yet reduce the cost of manufacture, this being acontinuation-in-part of said co-pending application.

It is an important object of the instant invention to provide a toy ofthe aforementioned character that includes novel escapement means foractuating the'capfiring hammer, and having contained thereininexpensive, yet effective means to control the speed of operation ofthe hammer, together with synchronized means to control the cap feederby operable connection with the said escapement.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of firingmeans for automatic cap guns that includes a swingable hammer operablycoupled with the pallet of an escapement drive through use of a link,the pivot points between the pallet and the hammer being? arranged forsubstantial alignment when the hammer is swung away from the anvil.

A still further important object of the instant invention is to providea feeder for caps of automatic toy guns; that includes a swingable clampfor advancing the strip of caps in one direction, together with agripper for holding the strip against movement when the feeder is swungin the opposite direction.

Other objects include many important details of con-' struction all ofwhich will be made clear or become apparent as the followingspecification progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of gun made according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line lI-II of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, elevational view lookingtrearwardly into the gunupon removal of those parts extending forwardly of line II--II"ofFig. 1. r

Fig. 4 is'an elevational view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the hammerat' the opposite endof its path of travel against the anvil.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the feeder including the anvil, allentirely removed from within the case which normally houses the same.

Fig. 6 is a view. similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the strip ofcaps. and having parts broken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig- 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of the triggermechanism, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details ofconstruction.

an automatic cap.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII ofFig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 4looking in the direction of the arrows; and V Fig. 10 is a detailed,cross-sectional view taken on line XX of Fig. 3 looking in the directionof the arrows.

While the shape and design of the toy gun shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings may vary to suit the .desires of the manufacturer, there isshowna stock 12, a hand-grip 14, an imitation barrel 16 having ahand-hold thereon, sights 20 and 22, a reciprocable spring-loadedtrigger 24, and a housing 26 for containing all of the essential partsof the instant invention. a r 1 Housing 26 is composed of a pair ofrelatively rotatable parts 28 and 30, the former of whichincludes ahingedly mounted door 32 having an outlet 34 therein. The housingsection 28 is rigidly secured to a plate 36 through the medium of aplurality of pins 38, and in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 8 plate 36 is shown inelevation after removal of the housing section 28 and barrel 16 attachedthereto.

Plate 36 is rotatable in the housing section 30 but is held againstanti-clockwise rotation viewing Fig. 6, by a spring-loaded detent 40swingably mounted thereon and received by a notch 42 within theinnermost face of the cylindrical housing section 30. Housing section 30rotatably receives a centrally disposed hub 44 extending freely throughthe plate 36 as best seen in Fig.7 around which is coiled a spring 46that has one end thereof secured to the housing section 30 and theopposite end thereof secured to the hub 44, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7respectively.

Hub 44 rotates about a reciprocable pin 48 attached 7 to the trigger 24and extending through a toothed member in the form of a' starwheelforming, a part of an escapement mechanism about to be described. Themember 50 is rotatable on the pin 48 and secured rigidly to the hub 44by suitable fasteners 52.

The said escapement includes in addition to the toothed member 50, apallet 54" swingably mounted on the plate 36 through the medium of a;pivot pin 56 and provided with a shoulder 58 normally bearing againstthe pin 48 in the manner shown by Figs. 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The swingable pallet 54 is' provided with a pair of esca'pement pins 60and 62 extending toward the plate 36 Within the path of travel of theteeth of member 50 to control escapement of the latter.

A hammer 64 is mounted on the plate 36 for swinging movement toward andaway from an anvil 66 by means of a pivot pin 68. Anvil 66 is securedrigidly to the plate 36 by suitable fasteners .70, whereas the hammer 64is operably coupled with the pallet 54- by a link 72. .A pivot pin 74 atthat end of the pallet 54'opposite to pivot pin 56, couples one end oflink 72 with the pallet 54 and" a pivot pin 76 spaced from the pivot pin68 couples the link 72 with the hammer 64. A stop 78 on the hammer 64engageable with the link 72, limits the extent of swinging movement ofthe hammer 64' in one direction. away from the anvil 66. g V 1 A stripof caps 89 is threaded from roll 82 over a pair of spaced fingers 84,thence over the anvil 66,. and finally through the outlet opening 34 ofthe swingable door 32. Suitable means such as a block 86 (Fig. 2') onthe door 32, holds the roll of caps 82 on a pin 88 secured to the plate36 whenever the door 32 is latched in a closed position as shown in Fig.1.

A feeder for thestrip includes an arm 90 swingable mounted on the anvil66 by means of a pivot pin 92. Arm 90'has a clamp' mounted thereon andwhich includes a spring-loaded, swingable element 94 having a finger tab96 and a'pair of pron'gs 98 spring-biased toward a avsaaso 3 pair ofcars 100 extending upwardly and between the fingers 84.

Anvil 66 also carries a swinable spring-loaded gripper 102 engageablewith the strip 80 for holding .the latter each time the said clampswings away from the gripper 102 to take a new bite.

The feeder is synchronized with, and operated by, the escapementmechanism and to this end, pallet 54 has a rod 104 that extends throughan eye 106 on the arm 90. The plate 36 carries an elongated rod 108 thatextends over the guiding fingers 84, between the prongs 98 and throughthe gripper 102. The strip 80 is threaded as seen in Fig. 6 from theroll 82, over the fingers 84, and beneath the rod 108. The strip 80 isalso disposed between the prongs 98 and ears 100, and is fed between thegripper. 102 and the anvil 66.

In operation, the spring 46 is wound by grasping the stock 12 and thehand-hold 18 to rotate the housing sections 28 and.30 relatively. It canbe appreciated that as. the stock 12 is held, rotation of the housingsection 28 rotates the plate 36 clockwise, viewing Fig. 6, which in'turnrotates. the star wheel 50 and the hub 44 whenever the shoulder 58 ofpallet 54 is engaged with pin 48.

Hub 44 is driven and the star wheel 50 is thus rotated whenever thetrigger 24 is retracted to withdraw the pin 48, thereby clearing thepallet 54 for swinging movement on its pivot pin 56. As soon as the pin43 is thus retracted, the pallet 54 commences swinging downwardly towardthe anvil 66 as the pin 62 slides along the tooth of wheel 50 which itengages in the manner shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. As soon as thepin 62 clears the Wheel 50, the latter rotates anti-clockwise, viewingFig. 6, until another tooth thereof moves into engagement with the pin60 causing the pallet 54 to swing upwardly on the pivot pin 56,withdrawing the hammer 64.

The pallet 54, the link 72 and the hammer 64 are permitted to swingupwardly beyond the position shown in Fig. 3.until the pivot pins 68, 74and 76 are in substantial alignment as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6.Past center movement of the pin 76 is prevented by stop 78 moving intoengagement with the link 72 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. Theswinging movement of the hammer 64 toward and away from the anvil 66,continues as long as the pin 48 is held retracted and each time thehammer 64 moves to the position shown in Fig. 4, one of the caps of thestrip 80 will be fired. The speed of swinging movement of hammer 64 is,therefore, controlled by full-stroke movement of the pallet 54 away fromthe anvil 66 and the automatic operation may be discontinued at any timeby releasing the trigger 24 to place the pin 48 into the path of travelof the shoulder 58 as the pallet 54 moves from the dotted line positionshown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Swinging movement of the pallet 54 also causes the arm 90 to swing onthe pivot pin 92 by virtue of the sliding connection between rod 104 andthe eyelet 106. Each time pallet 54 causes the arm 90 to swing from theposition shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, gripper 102 acts on the strip 80 to hold the same, while theprongs 98 and the ears 100 slide with respect to the strip 80. When thepallet 54 acting through rod 104 and eyelet 106 swings the arm 90anticlockwise viewing Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the strip 80 is clamped betweenthe prongs 98 and the ears 100, causing the strip 80 to advance alongthe guide fingers 84 and the anvil 66. Notable of course, is the factthat the arm 90 swings to the position shown in Fig. 4 as the hammer 64swings downwardly to a position firing the cap on anvil 66. Advancementof the strip 80 occurs during upward swinging movement of the hammer 64away from the anvil 66.

Manifestly, the gripper 102 permits freemove'ment of the strip 80 in onedirection but holds the latter against movement toward the roll 82 withthe clamp on arm. 90

when the latter swings to the position shown in Fig. 4. Rod 108 whichoverlies the strip 80, prevents buckling of the latter as the arm 90moves toward the position shown in Fig. 3 and advances the strip 80beneath the gripper 102. All firing takes place in a downward directionand the fired caps are fed downwardly through the opening 34. Additionalrolls 82 may be threaded on the pin 8?: simply by opening the door 32.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic cap gun, a cap-receiving anvil; a cap-firing hammer;means mounting the hammer for movement to and from'a position striking acap against the anvil; escapement means including a driven elementprovided with teeth, a pallet for controlling escape of said teeth,power means connected with said element for driving the same, and meansmounting said pallet for movement relative to the hammer; and a linkpivotally interconnecting the pallet and the hammer for moving thelatter upon movement of the pallet.

2. In a cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns. a swingable hammer;a swingable actuator for the hammer; a link pivotally interconnectingthe actuator and the hammer; a rotatable driven element provided withteeth; power means for driving said element; and a pair of pins mountedon the actuator and engaging said teeth for controlling the escape ofthe teeth'and the speed of swinging movement of the hammer as theactuator is swung.

3. Ina cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns, a hammer; a pivotpin mounting the hammer for swinging movement; a swingable actuator; alink; a pivot pin connecting the link to the actuator; a pivot pinconnecting-the linkto the hammer; a power driven element; and meansoperably connecting said element with the actuator for swinging theactuator to and from a position substantially. aligning the pivot pins,said actuator being disposed intermediate said element and the hammer.

v 4. In a cap-firing mechanism for automatic cap guns, a power drivenelement; an anvil; a hammer; a pivot pin mounting the hammer forswinging movement toward and away from said anvil; a swingable actuator;means operably connecting said element with the actuator; a link; apivot pin connecting the link to the actuator; a pivot pin connectingthe link to the hammer; and means stopping swinging movement of thehammer away from the anvil beyond a position where the pivot pins are insubstantial alignment.

5. In an automatic cap gun, a cap firing mechanism, and a feeder foradvancing a strip of caps comprising a swingable device; a clamp mountedon said device; means holding the clamp attached to the strip as thedevice is swung in one direction; .a swingable hammer; a swingableactuator for the hammer; means pivotally interconnecting the actuatorand the hammer; a power driven element; means operably coupling theactuator with said element; and means operably coupling the actuatorwith said device for swinging the latter; said hammer being disposed tostrike the said caps during swinging of the hammer and feeding of thecaps by said device.

6. In an automatic cap gun, a cap firing mechanism, and a feeder foradvancing a strip of caps comprising a swingable device; a clamp mountedon said device; means holding the clamp attached to the strip as thedevice is swung in one direction; a gripper for holding the strip as thedevice is swung in the opposite direction; a swingable. hammer; aswingable actuator for the hammer; means pivotally interconnecting theactuator and the hammer; a power driven element; means operably couplingthe actuator with said element; and means operably coupling the actuatorwith said device for swinging the latter; said hammer being disposed tostrike, the said caps during swinging of the hammer and feeding of thecaps by said device.

7. In an automatic cap gun, a cap-receiving anvil; a

feeder for advancing a strip of caps along the anvil; a capfiringhammer; means mounting the hammer for movement to and from a positionstriking the caps against the anvil; a swingable member; means pivotallyinterconnecting the member with the hammer for swinging the latter; apower driven element; means operably connecting said element with themember, said feeder including a swingable device; a clamp mounted onsaid device, and means holding the clamp attached to the strip as thedevice is swung in one direction; and means operably coupling the memberwith said device for swinging the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

